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texasbob

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 18, 2015
6
10
I want a pellet grill!!!.  Traeger is out.  It's cheaply made, mass produced, and sold at big box stores!!! Nuff said.  I really zero'd in on Rec Tec but am now having second thoughts.  Their pricing is all over the place.  On ebay they advertise a grill with a custom cover and 240 lbs of pellets and FREE SHIPPING for $1448...but...when you do the math it doesn't add up.  The grill is $998...the Custom cover is $80, and the 240 lbs of pellets are $150.  Thats $1228...$220 LESS than their ebay price.  I sent them an email about this price difference and here is their answer...
Dear planswiftbob,

FREE SHIPPING is really like the Easter Bunny, fun to believe in, but the grown ups know it can't be true.
 
- cundy33

Does this sound like someone with whom you'd like to deal?  They also say the full size grill regular price is $1598 on sale for $998, but couldn't tell me when they've EVER sold one for that FULL price.   

Look, this is really a good grill, even though made in China, but frankly I'm a little tired of playing pricing games and getting stupid answers to serious questions like above.  By the way, the lady that wrote me that "Easter Bunny" answer says that she is a co-founder of the company!  I was ready to buy that package for $1228 with FREE shipping until I received that stupid message.  Now I'm gonna spend a few more bucks and look at Yoder!
 
I'm not seeing the issue.  You're paying shipping either way.  On the ebay listing it's included in the price.  Via their website it's added during checkout and varies depending on destination.  

What was the exact text of your question to them?  Can't really evaluate their reply if you don't include your side.
 
I want a pellet grill!!!.  Traeger is out.  It's cheaply made, mass produced, and sold at big box stores!!! Nuff said.  I really zero'd in on Rec Tec but am now having second thoughts.  Their pricing is all over the place.  On ebay they advertise a grill with a custom cover and 240 lbs of pellets and FREE SHIPPING for $1448...but...when you do the math it doesn't add up.  The grill is $998...the Custom cover is $80, and the 240 lbs of pellets are $150.  Thats $1228...$220 LESS than their ebay price.  I sent them an email about this price difference and here is their answer...

Dear planswiftbob,


FREE SHIPPING is really like the Easter Bunny, fun to believe in, but the grown ups know it can't be true.

 
- cundy33
 
Does this sound like someone with whom you'd like to deal?  They also say the full size grill regular price is $1598 on sale for $998, but couldn't tell me when they've EVER sold one for that FULL price.   
 
Look, this is really a good grill, even though made in China, but frankly I'm a little tired of playing pricing games and getting stupid answers to serious questions like above.  By the way, the lady that wrote me that "Easter Bunny" answer says that she is a co-founder of the company!  I was ready to buy that package for $1228 with FREE shipping until I received that stupid message.  Now I'm gonna spend a few more bucks and look at Yoder!

So, you went to all the trouble to research the grill you wanted, but now you're not going to buy it because someone told you the truth? There is no such thing as "free shipping". You pay for it somewhere. Totally your choice though.

Pricing games=finding the best price out of a million places on The Great Interweb. All part of the game. Shipping is ALMOST ALWAYS the deciding factor.
 
Re-reading the OP, the $1228 to $1448 comparison suggests he didn't realize shipping added at the checkout stage on rec-tec's website an/d or didn't realize it's expensive to ship a 400lb+ pallet.  A $170-190 shipping quote brings the numbers a lot closer together.  

I'd naturally expect the ebay price to be higher both to cover worst-case shipping costs and to partially cover the percentage cut ebay takes.
 
Would you feel better if it said "shipping included" instead of free shipping?
 
I guess y'all just don't get it.  I have no problem with a retailer saying that if you purchase all of these item for X number of dollars shipping is included.  But what they said is purchase X, Y, and Z and get FREE shipping.  That is totally different.  I own a business and I'm always very clear on what I charge and exactly what I include for my fee.  I guess that some consumers just accept that retailers think that they are not very bright.
 
Yes, when I checked shipping on their website it was $160.
 
Sounds to me like it's an issue of deception and a lack of tact.I personally don't blame you for wanting to move on. If these are the type of answers you get to pricing questions, you may also feel talked down to if you ever have to deal with any other issues down the road.
 
 
I guess y'all just don't get it.  I have no problem with a retailer saying that if you purchase all of these item for X number of dollars shipping is included.  But what they said is purchase X, Y, and Z and get FREE shipping.  That is totally different.
Okay now I'm curious.  Please explain how "shipping is included" is any different from "get FREE shipping"?  

By the way, you claim they said "purchase X, Y, and Z and get FREE shipping" but when I look at their auction it's saying "This offer includes X, Y, Z, and free shipping..."  That's a package deal, consisting of four items: X, Y, Z, and shipping.  So either you've misunderstood, misinterpreted, or are misrepresenting.
   I guess that some consumers just accept that retailers think that they are not very bright.
Was that really necessary?  
 
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So here's the difference.  

Retailer A says that if you buy X,Y, and Z you'll get FREE shipping.  All for $1448

Retailer B says that if you buy X, Y, and Z for $1448 shipping is INCLUDED.

Then you go to the website and find out that X, Y, and Z cost $1228 WHAT would you expect to pay?  My problem is that Retailer A & B are the same people...Rec Tec.  Ta know, this isn't even worth more discussion.  I'll be purchasing a Yoder
 
So, some of you think that this is ok?  FREE SHIPPING really means I have to pay an extra $220.
 
If these are the type of answers you get to pricing questions, you may also feel talked down to if you ever have to deal with any other issues down the road.
We also don't know what wording/phrasing was used by the OP in his email to RecTec to begin with.  As I mention above it's tough to assess that line out of context, and ultimately not really fair.

BTW if anyone cares, I have no association with RecTec.  Don't even own one of their grills.
 
 
So here's the difference.  

Retailer A says that if you buy X,Y, and Z you'll get FREE shipping.  All for $1448

Retailer B says that if you buy X, Y, and Z for $1448 shipping is INCLUDED.

Then you go to the website and find out that X, Y, and Z cost $1228 WHAT would you expect to pay?  My problem is that Retailer A & B are the same people...Rec Tec.  Ta know, this isn't even worth more discussion.  I'll be purchasing a Yoder
Okay, let me ask this then.  You say you have a business so let's put it in that context.

You post an advert offering a package of four items A, B, C, and D for $1000.  Elsewhere you list them individually as $600 for A, $100 for B, $100 for C, and $200 for D.

Why do you offer A, B, and C for one price but offer A, B, C, and D for a different price?  Why do you sell A+B+C for $800 and A+B+C+D for $1000?

When you go to Rectec's website and put the three items in your cart, go to checkout and add the shipping cost, whats your total?
 
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I agree the lady could have responded to a potential customer better but paying less than 200 for shipping on something that heavy sounds good to me. You want to find about about shipping cost call Lang and get a shipping quote on one their smokers!

Hope you get the smoker you want,

phatbac (Aaron)
 
>FREE SHIPPING is really like the Easter Bunny, fun to believe in, but the grown ups know it can't be true

So wait. What is she saying about the Easter Bunny? Oh no!

>  I'll be purchasing a Yoder

If that's within your budget, then you're better off. Yoder is a much better machine.
 
I build custom homes and from time to time I advertise Free 3rd car garage...Free Patio (200 sq.ft.), Free ceiling fans(limit4), etc.  The prices of my homes are reduced accordingly.  I'm gonna eat the cost and have my margins reduced.  Hopefully I'll recoup that money by creating more sales volume and total $$$.  I don't mislead the public by bumping up the price to cover the misleading ad.
 
Okay, I think the difference here is you've perceived their ebay marketing as somehow being a "special deal" whereas others are seeing that it's merely a packaging of the same items as on their website with no bargain implied.  That clarifies your point of view well, thank you.

I'm curious what led you to think that as I'm looking again and not seeing anything but a repackaging.  The ebay offer is the worse deal anyway since they're allowing for worst-case shipping costs, and they've bumped the total by $20-30 over what directly ordering from their website would be.  Par for the course; ebay these days isn't often the best deal for stuff.  Used to be great 12 years ago but not so much now a days.

All that aside it seems many people like the RecTec units, if you can get past this part and order one you'll likely be quite happy with it.

Yoder's going to be the more substantial unit though, so if you're willing/able to spend what they cost that's likely the better option regardless of marketing tactics.

Side note -- look at the controller types for each and whether they're PID controllers.  
 
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Originally Posted by bregent  
If that's within your budget, then you're better off. Yoder is a much better machine.

This is a rather subjective and misleading statement, being worded as fact. Have you actually owned and used both grills? If you haven't, your comment isn't really very fair to Rec Tec, and I don't know what you have to gain by bashing them.

While I own a Rec Tec, I believe both Yoder and Rec Tec build quality pits. There are many satisfied owners of both brands...including me.

I don't want to dissuade anyone from buying a Yoder...they're great rigs...but I know first hand that RT is a great grill too.

Red
 
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